A Unique East – West Cancer Perspective

My name is Mark Kageyama. I live in Southern California, USA. I am married, to my wonderful wife Beth, and I have two amazing daughters, Lisa and Tani. At the beginning of 2021, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, in my bones, prostate, and my lungs. I made a very important determination at the beginning of my journey: I will be healthy, I will survive, and I will be positive every day! I am so incredibly blessed to be able to open my eyes every day! I truly appreciate the simple things in life: being able to walk outside my front door, experience nature, and all of the amazing things that our planet has to offer! This year I have gone through numerous inhumane, invasive procedures including lung and bone scans and biopsies, MRIs, ultrasounds, chemotherapy, etc. I have a CaringBridge Site, where I share my cancer journey. This site has taken a tremendous burden off of me, as far as sharing my cancer journey with family and friends. I also started a YouTube channel called 2BYourOwnHero, to share my journey, as well as, and more importantly, I want to help people appreciate their life, appreciate their health, and embrace their opportunities. I figured that there wouldn't be many stage 4 cancer patients who would be willing to share their stories with the public. I talk about the cancer battle, positive attitude, gratitude, and many other subjects which I hope to inspire people with. Every other Thursday, at 9:00 AM PST, my friend Katie Gasparri and I put on a presentation called the "Cancer Conquering Community" on the Clubhouse app. We are forming a community of cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, and concerned people who are interested in learning more about cancer. Please join us!